March 29, 2024

Second RAD Class Offered in August by UMW Police for Faculty/Staff Women

UMW’s Police Department is offering to faculty and staff women an additional R.A.D. Basic Physical Defense Program class in a format of three consecutive nights – August 6, 7, and 8 from 6-9 p.m. each of those nights.

R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) for Women is founded on four basic principles:  risk awareness, risk reduction, risk recognition and risk avoidance. These principles are the basis for 90 percent of self-defense education.  R.A.D. for Women is a female-only class.

The R.A.D. Basic Physical Defense Program is a self-defense class designed for women of all ages and taught by men and women to teach methods to defend against potential attacks as well as to educate women about risk awareness, risk reduction, risk recognition, and risk avoidance.  The R.A.D. Systems Basic Physical Defense instructional objective is “to develop and enhance the options of self-defense, so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked.”

R.A.D. Basic is a three-day course (3 hours per day) offered to female faculty/staff/students of the UMW community FREE of charge. This class will be taught by Sgt. Bobby Somers, who is a certified R.A.D. Instructor and Advanced R.A.D. Systems Instructor. Sgt. Somers serves as a Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor and U.S. Army Special Operations Self Defense and Survival Specialist.  Sgt. Somers is currently a Patrol Sergeant and Field Training Officer with the UMW Police Department.  Sgt. Somers will be assisted by Dr. Nicole Surething, who is the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services and also a Certified R.A.D. Basic Instructor.

The class dates are August 6 through 8 from 6 p.m. through 9 p.m.

If you’re interested in taking this self-defense course, please contact Sgt. Bobby Somers by email at wsomers@umw.edu to register.  Spaces are limited.

About Brynn Boyer

Brynn Boyer is assistant director of media and public relations and a 2010 graduate of UMW.